The present invention is directed to an apparatus for guiding and holding printed circuit boards which are guided at opposite edges. The apparatus is of the type composed of an essentially U-shaped rail having at least two legs and having retainer elements directed outward in the direction of the legs and having a leg spacing of the legs that is somewhat greater when compared to the thickness of the printed circuit board and having at least one leg fashioned such that a leg spacing that falls below the thickness of the printed circuit board occurs for at least one location.
A problem with the printed circuit boards is that very great length and thickness variations repeatedly occur when integrating printed circuit boards. Using traditional printed circuit board guide rails for a specified length of a printed circuit, the printed circuit boards no longer have support for a length less than the specified length or are integrated under tension for a length greater than the specified length, resulting in arcing. When the printed circuit boards are too thin, they can rattle in the guide rails and, when they are too thick, they can seize therein.
For thickness compensation of printed circuit boards, German Utility Model Application No. G 88 12060.0 has disclosed an apparatus for guiding and holding printed circuit boards that is composed of a U-shaped rail having two retainer elements located in the proximity of the two rail ends and pointing out transversely relative to the legs. On one leg at least two pressure elements are formed for the printed circuit boards and project into the inside of the U-shaped rail. The thickness variations of the printed circuit boards can in fact be compensated for with this prior art apparatus; the length variations thereof, however, cannot be compensated.